Sounds l s z sh ch j (mixed practice) worksheets
Printable speech sound practice for the l, s, z, sh, ch and j sounds: a six-sound chart, picture word sheets for each sound, a sound hunt and a say-it board game.
The worksheets
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Six Sounds at a Glance
All six sounds on one page, each with a mouth picture, a one-line how-to, voice on or off, the spellings and three picture words.
L Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the l sound at the start, middle or end. The letters that make the sound are underlined.
S Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the quiet snake sound at the start, middle or end.
Z Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the buzzing z sound. Some are spelled with s, like nose and cheese.
SH Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the quiet sh sound at the start, middle or end.
CH Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the ch sound at the start, middle or end.
J Sound Words
Twelve picture words with the j sound. It can be spelled j, g, ge or dge.
Sound Hunt
Six rows, one for each sound. Each row has three pictures with the sound and two without. Includes an answer key.
Say It! Board Game
A board game with picture words for all six sounds, a different mix each time you print.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
These sheets give kids short, fun practice with six speech sounds that often keep developing into 2nd grade: l (as in leaf), s (as in sun), z (as in zebra), sh (as in ship), ch (as in chair) and j (as in jar). Many children master these between ages 5 and 7. Kids who are still working on them often say w or y for l (wion for lion), let the tongue poke out on s and z (thun for sun), say s for sh (sip for ship), say sh or t for ch (shair or tair for chair), or say d for j (dump for jump). Common Core doesn't cover speech sounds, so these sheets have no Common Core code.
What comes next
For deeper practice on one sound, use that sound's articulation set (cue card, picture cards, phrases, sentences, bingo, a board game, a tracker, read-aloud stories and talking practice).
How to teach it
- Start with the six-sound chart. Show how each sound is made in a mirror before practicing words.
- Pair the sounds that go together. S and z are made the same way, and so are ch and j. The only difference is the voice. Put a hand on the throat to feel the buzz on z and j.
- Practice one sound in words before mixing sounds together in the hunt and the game.
- Keep it short and playful. Five to ten minutes a day works better than a long session once a week.
- Praise effort, not just correct sounds. "I heard that round sh!" is more helpful than "No, say it again."
- If your child is working with a speech-language pathologist, use these sheets for the sounds and word positions they are practicing.
Common mistakes
- Listening to spelling instead of sound. Nose has the z sound, giraffe and cage have the j sound, and ocean has the sh sound.
- Mixing up s and sh. S is a smile with teeth together. Sh has round, fish lips.
- Mixing up sh and ch. Sh is long and smooth (shhhh). Ch is short and pops (ch!).
- Correcting every word in everyday talk. Save most feedback for practice time.
- If your child is hard to understand or gets frustrated when talking, ask your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist for a check.